Career
Following his fellowship, Kang joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he was later promoted to full professor and appointed the UPMC Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery in 2007. [3] He also served as the executive vice chairman for clinical services and director of the Ferguson Laboratory Musculoskeletal Research Center for Spine Research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). [4]
In 2015, Kang was appointed chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at BWH, succeeding Thomas S. Thornhill. [5] In 2016, he received the Thomas and Karen Thornhill Professorship at Harvard Medical School. After a ten-year tenure as chair, he transitioned to chair emeritus and distinguished professor at Harvard Medical School in 2025. [6]
Kang served as President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery for the 2023–2024 term, a role that kept him centrally engaged with issues of board certification, maintenance of certification, and professional standards for orthopaedic surgeons nationwide. As ABOS president he publicly addressed evolving issues such as the responsible use of artificial intelligence in assessment and exam workflows [7] [8]
In 2016, he was also president of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. [9]
Research and contributions
Kang has performed research on intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), focusing on its biological and molecular pathomechanisms. His research established that disc cells are biochemically active, producing inflammatory cytokines that may contribute to back pain and radicular pain. [10] His studies explored the interactions between aging and disc degeneration using animal models, leading to insights into inflammation and matrix degradation in IDD. [11]
Kang also investigated molecular therapies for disc degeneration, including gene therapy. [12] His studies demonstrated the feasibility of gene transfer into the disc and the therapeutic potential of enhancing matrix proteins. Additionally, he has conducted clinical research on spinal disorders, evaluating functional outcomes following cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal surgeries. [13]
Kang has performed more than 14,000 spinal surgeries. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and more than 73 book chapters, as well as authoring a text book on Hip-Spine Syndrome. [14] He has served as deputy editor of Spine as well for the spine section of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research (JOR). [15] [16]
Kang's recent publications underscore his ongoing commitment to advancing spine research and fostering equity in the field. In August 2025, he co-authored Sex Disparities in Spine Surgeon Leadership of Clinical Trials for Degenerative Spine Disease Research, a study assessing the representation of women as principal investigators in spine surgery clinical trials, highlighting persistent underrepresentation and advocating for greater diversity in leadership roles. [17] That same month, he published Shifts in Diversity Along the Spine Surgery Training Pathway, a cross-sectional analysis examining racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among academic orthopedic spine surgeons in the United States, emphasizing the need for improved inclusion throughout the training and professional pipeline. [18]
In 2024, Kang explored translational therapies in Rapamycin Mitigates Inflammation-Mediated Disc Matrix Degradation, investigating the potential of rapamycin to regulate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and counteract inflammation-induced disc degeneration. [19]
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